Engine-lubricating device



P. F. RICE.

NGI'NE LUBRICATING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 21. m9.

Patented Oct. 18, 1921.

*4 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PERC 1*. RICE, or western, CALIFORNIA.

To all whom "it may concern.

.Be it known that I, PERCY F. RICE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Tustin, in the county of Orange and State of California, have invented a new and useful Engine-Lubricating Device, of which the following is a specification. V e

j My invention relates to engine lubricatin'g devices and has particular relation to a device for controlling the distribution of lubricating oil deposited upon the'cylinder walls by the well known splash lubricating system. T he object of the invention is to provide a yieldingly operated means incorporated with the" piston of an explosive engine for controlling the lubrication of the cylinder walls.

Another object is to provide an intermittently functioning means for wiping the cylinder walls upon the outward stroke of the piston, com-binedwith-meansfor entraining the excess of lubricating oil into the crank case.

Various other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description of the accompanying drawings forming a part of this disclosure and which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention.

Of the drawings,

Figure 1 is a vertical section through the cylinder of an explosive engine, showing my improved device associated with the piston.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan section on line a0 w of Fig. 1 showing the wipe ring in contracted position.

Fig. 3 is a similar section showing the wipe ring in expanded position.

Fig. 4 is a detail side elevation of the opposed ends of the wipe ring.

Fig. 5 is an end view of the ring expanding pin.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail section on line a"'w of Fig. 3.

In the ordinary type of splash lubricating systems for explosive engines the engine shift crank arms and the lower ends of the connecting rods dip into an oil reservoir in ENGINE-LUBRICAT'ING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Oct, 18 1921, Application filed October 21, 1919. Serial No. 332,145.

and piston rings, in which case the excessive oil is forced above the piston and into the explosive chamber where it contributes greatly to the formation of carbon.

To overcome this fault and to positively control the lubrication of the cylinder walls I provide a contractile split wipe-ring 1 which is positioned within a ring groove 2 in the lower peripheral surface of the piston 3. The opposed ends 45 of the ring 1 are beveled inwardly to form a wedge-shaped throat and are also angled vertically as shown in Fig. 4 so that a portion of one end will overlap the adjacent end providing a continuous cylinder contracting surface.

A wedge pin 6 is slidably supported in a base in the piston wall in alinement with the ringe groove 2 and is provided with a wedge. head 7 adapted to engage the angled ends of the ring, when forced outwardly, to expand the ring to engagement with the cylinder walls. The wedge head 7 is contoured to; intermesh with the angled ends of the ring. (See Fig. 5.)

The inner end of the wedge pin 6 has a collar 8 to which is secured one end of a coil spring 9, the opposite end of the spring being secured to a collar 10 having a shank 11 screw-threaded into the edge of the connecting rod 12.

With reference to Fig. 1, it will be seen that, with the crank rotating in a counterclockwise direction, the lateral movement of the-connecting rod 12 will cause the spring 9 to be compressed to force the wedge pin 6 outwardly to expand the wipe ring 1 during a downward stroke of the piston. During the upward stroke of the piston the lateral movement of the connecting rod in the reverse direction will cause the wedge pin to be withdrawn to allow the wipe ring to contract away from engagement with the cylinder walls.

From the above it will be understood that the wipe ring 1 is yieldingly operated to function intermittently to wipe excess lubricating oil from the walls of the cylinder during the downward strokes of the piston and is permitted to contract free from contact with the cylinder during the upward An annular groove 16 is formed in the lower edge and adjacent the outer periphery of the wipe ring forming a communication between the orifices 15 and the space between the piston and cylinder walls. 'By this means, the excess oil which is wiped from the cylinder walls will entrain ,into the groove 16 and through the orifices 15 into the interior of the piston and into the crankcase.

Having described my invention I claim:

1. A device of the class described combining a cylinder, a piston, a connecting rod, and means controlled by the connecting rod and engaging and wiping the cylinder walls only during the out stroke of the piston.

2. A device oi, the class described combining a cylinder, a piston, a connecting rod, and a wipe ring carried by the piston and controlled by the connecting rod to engage the cylinder walls only during the out stroke of the piston.

3. A device of the class described combining a cylinder, a piston, a connecting rod,

annular groove for entraining a lubricant from the cylinder walls through the piston orifices, and means functioned by the connecting rod to control the wipe ring.

5. A device of the class described combining a cylinder, a piston, a connecting rod, a contractile split ring associated with the piston and having opposed angled ends, a wedge element carried by the piston and adapted to expand the ring, and a yielding connection intermediate the wedge element and the connecting rod 6. A device 01" the class described combining a cylinder, apiston having a peripheral ring groove near its outer end with orifices communicating with said groove and with the interior of the piston, a split contractile wipe ring positioned within said groove and having an annular oil groove for entraining a lubricant from the cylinder walls to the piston orifices, the ring having opposed angled ends forming a wedge throat, a wedge element adapted to be translated in Said throat to expand the ring, and yielding means connecting the wedge element and the connecting rod.

Signed at Los Angeles California this 15th day of October 1919.

PERCY F. RICE.

Witnesses CLARENCE B. FOSTER, L. BELLE WVEAVER. 

